Oil lamps were the predominant source of artificial light in the the early
19th century. Lighting them was difficult, however, until the widespread
availability of matches around the middle of the century. In the
meantime, a number of creative approaches were tried, with varying degrees
of success. This device, called a platinum sponge lighter, utilized a small piece of platinum similar to steel wool
suspended in a glass enclosure. When hydrogen gas was allowed into
the container, the platinum would spontaneously burst into flame, igniting
the hydrogen, which appeared as a small jet of flame. The small
alcohol lamp in the foreground was then ignited from this flame. Once the
alcohol lamp was burning, the hydrogen fire was extinguished. The
alcohol lamp could then be carried throughout the building, to light the
oil lamps.

Unfortunately the apparatus was tricky to operate, and the wrong
mix of hydrogen and air would result in an explosion. Perhaps that is why
so few hydrogen lamps survive today.

Serrin Electric Arc
LampBreguet
ca.
1857

What you see here is the only known example of the
first self-starting and self-regulating arc lamp invented by Victor Serrin
of Paris, and built in 1857 by the great French instrument maker,
Breguet. This beautiful lamp represents an important step
in the evolution of the electric light. During the 1850s many people had devised electromagnetic
regulators to maintain the arc as the carbon electrodes burnt down.
However, in order to start the arc, the carbon rods had to be touched
together briefly and then separated. Existing mechanisms required that the lamp be
started manually. This was a big problem especially if the lamp
was in a hard to reach area or if it went out once it had been
started. Serrin's design proved popular and was soon
adopted as the main choice for French light houses where it served for many years. All of this took place 22 years before Thomas Edison perfected his incandescent lamp!

Welsbach "Arc" Lamp

Invention of the Dynamo

Pixii's Dynamic Electric Machine
1832

Clarke Magneto-Electric
machine

Alliance Dynamo

Gramme Dynamo
1870

Edison "long-legged Mary-Ann" Dynamo of 1884,
later renamed the "long-waisted" Mary-Ann out of modesty

Oneco Bipolar Dynamo
Circa 1890's

Edison 1/2 KW Bipolar Dynamo
Circa 1880's

Edison "Long Legged Mary-Ann Dynamo

Very
early Dynamo Regulator.Signed US Electric
Lighting Co. NY (stamped onto the adjusting arm lever.) Regulators
such as this were used in early electric lighting circuits to adjust
the dynamo output. The regulator consists of a rheostat (adjustable
resistance) placed inside a wooden box. The device is connected to the
dynamo field circuit, and by turning the handle the dynamo may be
adjusted to run any number of lights from one to the maximum load.

The United States Electric Lighting company (USEL) was an early
competitor to Edison, formed by Weston, Maxim, and Farmer, the latter
two having claimed priority to the incandescent lamp. USEL and Edison
were the first companies in the United Stated to develop a metering
and controlling system for dynamos.

Mahogany frame is covered with coarse metal screen on sides and back,
and is supported by four round wooden feet. Measures 10-1/2 x 11-3/4 x
6-1/2. The number 1427 is stamped into the front panel.

Beautiful example of an early and very rare dynamo regulator.
American, circa 1881

Early attempts at Incandescent Lighting

Edison's Invention: A Practical Incandescent Lamp

Rarest Edison Lamp. This one was shown in
Edison's 1879 New-Year's eve demonstration at Menlo Park.

Edison lamp - Very rare
1885-6 This is the very first lamp using Edison's carbon paste clamps
instead of the heavy copper plated clamps used earlier. Note the
base is the very early short threaded form with the large brass contact
button.

The Edison Chemical MeterEdison set up his first power station in New York City at Pearl
Street. The station began operation on September 4, 1882. In
order to keep track of the electricity used by his customers, Edison
designed the first electric wattmeter, called the "Chemical meter" (see
below.)

Chemical Meter
Edison Gas & Electric Co.
ca. 1883

It was a crude device based on the principle of
electroplating, developed by Michael Faraday. Faraday had found that the
transfer of metal from one plate to another in an electrolytic bath was
exactly proportional to the current. Edison's first meter held a small glass
jar in which two copper plates were suspended in a solution of copper sulphate. The cover of the cell was arranged so that one of the plates was
easily removable by means of an insulated clamp with a thumb screw; the
other plate, which was thick and cylindrical in form, was intended to remain
in the cell to allow the copper to be transferred from it to the other plate
via electrolysis. An Edison employee would visit the meter periodically,
remove the electrode and weigh it, and the customer would be billed
accordingly.

While the concept worked well in theory, in
practice it was inconvenient and not especially accurate. Worse, there
was no way for a customer to independently confirm their consumption of
electricity so their confidence in the device was not high. As a result the
meters were replaced in short order, and very few can be found today.